Lara Bird, the newly elected Scottish National Party (SNP) Member of Parliament for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, has become the subject of criticism regarding her accent and a gesture made during her swearing-in ceremony in the House of Commons.

Bird, 28, has been accused by some social media users and political opponents of adopting a 'fake' Scottish accent when taking the oath of allegiance to King Charles III. Critics have pointed to online videos where her accent is perceived as more English than Scottish, contrasting with a more pronounced Scottish burr used during her swearing-in. She stated during the ceremony, "I take this oath only so that I can serve the people of Arbroath and Broughty Ferry. My first allegiance is and always will be to the sovereign people of Scotland."

Crossed Fingers Gesture

Adding to the controversy, Bird was seen crossing her fingers as she recited the oath, a gesture that has been described as 'childish' and a 'student politics stunt.' Thomas Heald, a Scottish Conservative councillor, called it "childish attention seeking," while Scottish Tories' deputy leader Rachael Hamilton suggested it might reflect "anti-English feelings many within the SNP harbour."

Bird, whose full name is Pyla Lard Bird-Leakey, is described as being half-Scottish and half-English. She grew up in Kirriemuir, Scotland, with a Scottish father and an English mother. She attended the High School of Dundee and studied at the London School of Economics before working for the SNP at Westminster. She had been pursuing a PhD at King's College London before deciding to run for Parliament.

Regarding her accent, Bird told The Courier earlier this month, "I think I probably just picked up a bit of an accent when I was there and because I've grown up with an English side of my family. But when I come back to Dundee, the Dundonian accent comes back a wee bit stronger and it is just one of those things, I think."

Election Victory and Party Response

Bird won the Arbroath and Broughty Ferry by-election held on June 18 with a majority of 5,278 votes. Reform UK's Scotland leader Malcolm Offord had previously commented on her accent ahead of the by-election. The SNP responded to the criticism by stating that Bird is "half-Scottish, half-English" and that the party "doesn't judge people on their accents or where they come from." The party also highlighted Bird's significant majority win, contrasting it with Reform UK's performance.

In a statement addressing the crossed-fingers gesture, Bird said, "On my first day in the job, I wanted to make very clear that my true commitment and allegiance will always be to my constituents here and more widely to the people of Scotland." She added that she entered politics to serve her local community and country, and that her gesture was to emphasize her allegiance to her constituents. She also commented that it is "pretty telling though that the Westminster establishment find it so offensive that a new MP would pledge allegiance to her constituents."

Official SNP policy supports the retention of the royal family in an independent Scotland. Bird's predecessor, Stephen Gethin, resigned in May after being elected to the Scottish Parliament.